As the waters become cooler the fish become rich with fat. We love sanma (Pacific saury) this time of year, both as sashimi, or simply salted and grilled. If there is a nice cup of nihonshu on the table, eating the guts of the sanma is also a treat. For miso soup a handful of shijimi (corbicula clams) into the pot brings lots of umami and flavor. A bowl asari (Japanese little neck clam) steamed in nihonshu is a perfect appetizer to dinner. While I always thought of hirame (halibut) and karei (flounder) as white fish and hence non-fatty that is not at all the case. These flatfish can take on a lot of fat – which you can actually see in the flesh. These are great as sashimi, or after a day or two we love to simmer until tender in nihonshu.

 

Ainame 鮎並 fat greenling (Hexagrammos otakii)

Aka garei 赤鰈flathead flounder (Hippoglossoides dubius)

Amaebi 甘海老 sweet shrimp(Pandalus borealis)

Ankou  鮟鱇 monkfish (Lophius litulon)

Asaba garei 浅羽鰈 dusky sole (Lepidopsetta bilineata)

Asari 浅蜊 Japanese little neck clam (Ruditapes philippinarum)

Awabi 鮑abalone (Haliotis sorenseni)

Babagarei 婆鰈 slime flounder (Microstomus achne)

Baka gai 馬鹿貝 surf clam (Mactra chinensis)

Benizuwai gani 紅頭矮蟹　red snow crab (Chionoecetes japonicus)

Botan ebi ボタンエビ Botan shrimp  (Pandalus nipponesis)

Chidai  血鯛 crimson sea bream (Evynnis japonica)

Hakkakuor tokubire 八角 sailfin poacher (Podothecus sachi)

Hata hata 鰰  sailfin sandfish (Arctoscopus japonicus)

Hime ezobora 姫蝦夷法螺  sea snail (Neptunea arthritica)

Hirame 鮃 olive halibut (Paralichthys olivaceus)

Hokkai ebi or hokkai shima ebi 北海海老 Hokkai shrimp (Pandalus latirostris)

Hokke 𩸽 arabesque greenling (Pleurogrammus azonus)

Hokki gai (uba gai) 姥貝hen clam (Pseudocardium sachalinense)

Hokkoku aka ebior amaebi 北国赤蝦  Alaskan pink shrimp (Pandalus borealis)

Hon maguro (or kuromaguro) 黒鮪 bluefin tuna (Thunus thynnus)

Hotate gai 帆立貝 Japanese scallop (Mizuhopecten yessoensis)

Ibodai 疣鯛 butterfish (Psenopsis anomala)

Inada いなだ young amberjack (Seriola quinqueradiata)

Itoyoridai 糸縒鯛  golden threadfin-bream (Nemipterus virgatus)

Kaki  牡蠣 oyster (Crassostrea gigas)

Kamasu 大和叺 barracuda (Sphyraena japonica)

Katsuo 鰹  skipjack tuna or oceanic bonito (Katsuwonus pelamis)

Kegani 毛蟹 horsehair crab (Erimacrus isenbeckii)

Kemushi kajika毛虫鰍 sea ravenor toubetsu kajika (Hemitripterus villosus)

Kinki or Kichiji 黄血魚 thornhead (Sebastolobus macrochir)

Kinmedai 金目鯛  splendid alfonsino (Beryx splendens)

Kitsune mebaru狐目張 or mazoi fox jacopever(Sebastes vulpes)

Kuro gashira garei 黒頭鰈 cresthead flounder (Pleuronectes schrenki)

Kurosoi 黒曹以 jacopever (Sebastes zonatusschlegeli)

Madako 真蛸 octopus (Octopus vulgaris)

Madaraor tara 真鱈 Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus)

Magarei 真鰈 littlemouth flounder (Pleuronectes herzensteini)

Maguro  鮪 tuna (Thunus thynnus)

Maiwashi or iwashi 真鰯 spotline sardine  (Sardinops melanostictus)

Mako garei 真子鰈 marbled flounder (Pleuronectes yokohamae)

Masaba or saba 真鯖  Pacific mackerel (Scomber japonicus)

Masu 鱒 trout (there are many types of trout – see nijimasu, sakuramasu)

Matara or tara 真鱈  cod (Gadus macrocephalus)

Matsukawa gareior tantaka or takanoha 松皮鰈 barfin flounder (Verasper moseri)

Meji maguro    young Pacific bluefin tuna

Mizudako 水蛸 North Pacific giant octopus (Octopus dofleini)

Muroaji 室鰺 Brown-striped mackerel scad (Decapterus muroadsi)

Niji masu 虹鱒 rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Nishin 鰊 Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii)

Numagareior wakagarei 沼鰈 starry flounder (Platichthys stellatus)

Sake 鮭 salmon (Oncorhynchus keta)

Sakura masu or yamame 桜鱒 cherry salmon (Oncorhynchus masou maso)

Sanma 秋刀魚 Pacific saury (Cololabis saira)

Sawara  鰆 Japanese Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus niphonius)

Shako 蝦蛄 mantis shrimp (Oratosquilla oratoria)

Shiira 粃 mahi mahi (Coryphaena hippurus)

Shijimi 大和蜆 corbicula clam (Corbicula japonica)

Shirauo 白魚 icefish (Salangichthys microdon)

Shishamo 柳葉魚 capelin (Spirinchus lanceolatus)

Souhachi 宗八鰈 pointhead flounder (Cleishenes pinetorum)

Sukesou dara 鯳 Alaska pollack (Theragra chalcogramma)

Suna garei 砂鰈 sand flounder (Limanda punctatissima)

Surumeika 鯣烏賊 Japanese flying squid (Todarodes pacificus)

Tachiuo 太刀魚 cutlassfish (Trichiurus lepturus)

Tarabagani 鱈場蟹 Alaska king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus)

Tsubugai  つぶ貝 whelk  (Buccinum undatum)

Ugui 鯎 Japanese dace (Tribolodon Hakonensis)

Unagi 鰻 Japanese eel  (Anguilla japonica)

Wakasagi 若細魚 Japanese smelt (Hypomesus nipponensis)

Warasa 鰤 Japanese amberjack (Seriola quinqueradiata)

Yanagi no mai 柳の舞 yellow rockfish (Sebastes steindachneri)